Brake system for drilling equipment



Feb. 26, 1935. R. 6. DE LA MATER I BRAKE SYSTEM FOR DRILLING EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 18, 1930 Patented see. as. was 53 srrs -rnr i Robert Gri lite La. Mater, Parhersburg, W. Va.,,'

assignor to The Parkersburg Rig to heel cm pant, acorpcration of WestVirginia Application Must is, 19st, Serial in. stereo 15 Claims. (or. rec-sci This invention relates to brake systems for use with a fluid friction brake the particular hoists such as are used in well drilling operaform of which is immaterial in the present intions, and more particularly to a control system stance. For purposes of illustration I show one for the fluid of a fluid friction brake connected type of brake to which I am not necessarily to the hoist. limited, and it is to be understood that this 5 In drilling rigs for deep wells the load descends type may be used with either form of invenseveral thousand feet and develops a. large tion described, although it is shown in connecamount of energy which I have found can be tion with the modified form in Fig. 2. dissipated by a fluid friction brake, such, for Hie brake comprises an outer stationary part example, as set forth in copending' application or stator 50 fastened if desired to the floor ofr l0 Ser. No. 674,703, flied June '7, 1933 which is a the derrick not shown. A shaft 51 passes division of this; application. In such a brake through the stator and has secured thereto a i system the fluidlquickly becomes heated as it is rotor-52 which rotates in the stator and any churned about in the brake, and it is an imfluid therein. A reel 53 is provided for the cable l5 portant object of my present invention to pr not shown connected to the load of the hoist, vide means to cool the fluid and return it to and the reel rotates in one direction when the th b ake, load is descending and in the opposite direction It is a further object of my invention to pro-- when the load is being raised. Pockets 54 and vide a pump or the like which is efiective to- 55 in the stator and rotor, respectively, coact vary the head of fluid in the brake to control to effect a churning of the fluid in the brake 20 the braking action of the brake. This result when theload is being lowered. A pulley 56 may be obtained by coupling the. pump to th secured to shaft 51 may be provided to drive brake, so that the faster the load descends the a pump a t forth hereinaften higher will be the level of fluid in the brake Referring to Fig. 1, where the preferred form and therefore the greater the braking action. of the invention is shown, a supply tank 83 is 5 It is a further object of my invention to pro.- m unted i th derri k t shown t Obtain vide a brake and pump so related that the latter h ad for th hydraulic brake g5 A coiled upis operative to pump fluid nto, t e brake When ply pipe Slleads from the tank to the brake, the load is descending, but inoperative to pump while a, discharge tank 86 i fed by. pipe 37 when the load is being raised. which extends from the brake. A pump 88 is 3% It is a still further object of the invention to driven by a belt 89 and sucks the fluid from the provide a fluid circulating system including the tank 86 via pipe 90 and passes it through brake with a control means, such as valves, to turn pipe 91 havin cooling il 9g and then vary the flow of fluid to the brake. back to the tank 83.

With these and other-objects which will be set. A control valve 105 is located between the 35 forth hereinafter my invention resid s in th coiled part of pipe 84 and the brake and is combinations and arrangements described and operated by an arm 110 connected to a link 111 set forth in the appended claims. manipulated by means not shown herein but set v In the accompanying drawing wherein two forth in the aforesaid divisional application. As forms of my invention are shown: shown in Fig. 4:, the valve has a rotatable part 40 Fig. 1 shows diagra at y e preferre 112' with a port 113 which can be aligned with form of circulating system for a hoist fluid-fricpassages 114 and 115 in the valve 105. An ex tension of pipe 84 aifords communication be- Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a tween the passage 115 and the brake. When the modified form of the invention; arm 110 is in the position shown in Fig. d, the 45 Fig. 3 isa detail vertical section on line III-III supply tank is disconnected from the brake, so of Fig, 2; that the fluid in the brake can flow through Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a control valve 106 and pipe 87 to deplete the resisting valve shown in Fig. 1; medium in the brake. When the valve 105 is 5 s a detail p p w Of the p p opened by the operator by moving the arm to 50 and drive of the modified form, looking in t e the position shown in Fig. 1, fluid will start to direction of arrow 5, Fig. 2; and flow into the brake and resistance will develop. Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line VI-VI Fig. 2 shows the modified system wherein the or"- 5. supply tank 93 is mounted below the brake 94.

The invention set forth herein is intended for A supplyp pe fi fi o the tank a d 8: 55

101 connects the brake and pump and with the parts already described forms a circulating system for fluid through the brake. A valve 117 in pipe 96 determines the rate of flow of fluid out of the brake, while another valve 118 and pipe regulates the amount of fluid which can enter the pump 99.

In either form of the invention I may employ a pump drive designed to render the pump opverativewhen the brake is turning in one direction only. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the rim 120 rotates'about shaft 121 of pump 99, and has interiorly thereof wedge shaped pockets 123 containing driving rolls 124 which can be forced against sleeve 125 fast on the pump shaft. When the pump driving rim is turned in the direction of arrow K, Fig. 6, the rolls will causethe brake to drive the pump as the load is lowered, but when the load is raised, the brake rotates the rim in the opposite direction and the rolls release, leaving the pump -idle. Under this condition, no fluid will be fed into the brake, and that which is in the brake at the time of reversal can drain out to lessen the checking action of the brake.

In the modified form of the invention, increased speed of the brake will increase the head or .volume of fluid delivered to the brake and will thus magnify the braking effort at a rate commensurate with the accumulating load, thereby attaining a substantially automatic control.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provideda fluid system for hydraulic brakes wherein the fluid is cooled and circulated through the brake. It will also be seen that the pump is effective to vary the head of fluid in the brake and thereby control the braking action. Furthering another means for varying the braking eiifort. The pumping action may also be controlled so as to feed the brake only when the latter is con-.

nected to a descending load. Thevalves 106,, 117 and 118 may, if desired, be constructed and controlled as is valve 105, and the single direction drive for the pump may be used with either form of the invention.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed. What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a well drilling rig brake system having a moving part the motion of which is to be checked, a dynamic fluid friction brake to check motion of the part, a discharge tank for receiving fluid heated in the brake, a cooling system,

a pump driven by said moving part to move fluid from the discharge tank through the system, a

' supply tank to be fed with cooled fluid by the checked, a dynamic fluid friction brake to check motion of the part, a discharge tank for receiving fluid heated in the brake, a cooling system, a pump driven by and in accordance with the speed of said moving part to movefluid from the tank throughthe system, a supply tank for receiving cooled fluid from the system, connections between the supply tank and brake to feed the latter with cooled fluid whereby fluid is fed from the supply tank to the brake .by gravity, and a second cooling system in said connections.

3. In a well drilling rig brake system having a'moving part the motion of which is to be checked, a dynamic fluid friction brake to check motion of the part, an elevated supply of fluid exterior tothe brake, and a pump driven by said moving part for returning fluid discharging from the brake to the elevated supply. I

4. In a well drilling rig brake system having a part which is driven by an increasing load the speed of which is to be controlled, a dynamic fluid friction brake to check the speed of the load, a supply of mid exterior to the brake, means for delivering fluid from the supply to the brake byand in accordance-with the speed of said moving part, means'for returning fluid from the brake to the supply, and means for adjusting the relative rates at which fluid is delivered to and returned from the brake, thereby to control the active quantity of fluid in the brake and the rate of circulation therethrough.

5. In a dynamic fluid friction brake system for hoists, a fluid friction brake, a reel connected thereto for rotation in opposite directions, a supply of fluid, a pump for delivering fluid to the brake, driving connections between the pump and brake, and means to render the pump efiective to pump fluid to the brake only when the latter is rotating in a given direction.

6. In a dynamic fluid friction brake system for hoists, a fluid friction brake, a fluid supply system,'a pump, means connecting the brake and pump in said fluid supply system, and means effective to drive the pump by and in accordance withthe speed of the brake to circulate fluid in the system that varies in accordance with the speed of the brake only when the brake is rotating in a given direction.

7. In a dynamic fluid friction brake system for hoists, a fluid friction brake, a supply tank supported at an elevation higher than the brake, to

feed fluid to the brake by gravity, a pump, driving connections between the brake and pump for driving the pump by and in accordance with the speed of the brake, and a feed pipe extending from the pump to the tank through which fluid is delivered by the pump from the brake to the tank.

8. In a dynamic fluid friction brake system for hoists, a fluid friction brake, a supply tank below the brake, to receive fluid from the brake, a pump driven by the brake for returning fluid from the 1 thereby automatically'varying the'braking resistance of the brake at a rate differing from that at which the speed of the brake varies, and means for rendering the pump effective to pump fluid only when the brake is rotating in one direction.

10. In a dynamic fluid friction brake system for. hoists, a fluid friction brake, a reel connected thereto for rotation in opposite directions, a supply of fluid, a pump driven in accordance with the speed of the brake for automatically varying the head of fluid acting on the inlet to the brake thereby automatically varying the braking resistance of the brake at a rate differing from that at which the speed of the brake varies, means for rendering the pump effective to pump fluid only when the brake is rotating in one direction, and a normally open valve in the outlet of the brake through which fluid is drained when the pump is rendered ineffective for decreasing the resistance offered by the brake when the brake is rotating in the brake is rotating in the opposite direction.

12.,In a dynamic fluid friction brake system for hoists, a fluid friction brake having an inlet and outlet, a circulating system for braking fluid, a pump driven in accordance with the speed of operation of the brake, means connecting the pump and system in series with the inlet and outlet of said brake, and means in the system adjacent the inlet and outlet of said brake for vary ing the relative rates at which fluid enters and discharges from the brake for regulating the active quantity of fluid in the brake and the rate of circulation therethrough.

13. In a dynamic fluid friction brake system for hoists, a fluid friction brake having an inlet and outlet, a circulating system for braking fluid, a pump driven in accordance with the speed of operation of the brake, means connecting the pump and system in series with the inlet and outlet of said brake, and means in the system for varying the relative rate of flow of fluid into and out of the brake thereby varying the braking effort developed by the brake independently of the speed of operation of the brake.

14. In a dynamic fluid friction brake system for hoists, a fluid friction brake, a pump driven in accordance with the speed of the brake only when the hoist is operating to lower a load, a tank, means for connecting the brake, pump and tank to form a fluid circulating system, and independently adjustable valves in said system at the inlet and outlet of said brake for adjusting the relative rates of flow of fluid into and out of the brake to thereby adjust the active quantity of fluid in the brake and its braking action and the rate of circulation of fluid through the orake.

15. In a dynamic fluid friction brake system for hoists, a fluid friction brake, a fluid supply system, a pump, means connecting the brake and 3 pump in said fluid supply system, and means effective to drive the -pump in accordance with the speed of the brake to circulate fluid in the system only when the brake is rotating in a given direction. a

R. GRIFFIN DE LA MA'IER? 

